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Tips, insights, and updates about English learning
-tion or -sion? A Simple Spelling Rule You Can Tell from Verb Endings
decide becomes decision, and act becomes action. Both are noun suffixes, but why does one use -sion and the other -tion? Actually, you can tell just by looking at how the original verb ends. This article gives you a handy rule to take away, plus a quick guide to common noun suffixes, so you can spell long words with confidence.
-able or -ible? A simple drop-the-suffix rule to tell them apart
Why does comfortable use -able while visible uses -ible? What's the actual difference? Actually, there is a super simple trick to tell them apart: drop the suffix and see if what's left is still a complete word. Master this trick, and along with this list of high-frequency -ible words, you'll never have to guess spelling again.
Why does running have an extra 'n'? 3 spelling transformation rules for adding -ing / -ed
run plus -ing becomes running, make becomes making, and study becomes studied—these spelling changes all follow a clear pattern. Master the three rules of doubling, dropping the silent-e, and changing consonant + y to i, and you will never misspell verb tenses again.
Why is the k in know Silent? A List of Silent English Letters and How to Memorize Them in Groups
The k in know, the w in write, and the b in thumb are written out but not pronounced, which often makes people anxious when spelling. In fact, these 'silent letters' almost always appear in clusters, and there is a history behind them. This article organizes six groups—kn-, wr-, -mb, -ght, ps-, and gn-—into a list, teaching you how to memorize them all at once using grouped visual memory so you can spell with more confidence.
ai in the Middle, ay at the End: How to Remember Homophonic Vowel Teams with Different Spellings and Never Misspell Them
rain and day are both pronounced /eɪ/, so why are their spellings different? Master this position rule: 'use ai/oi/ou in the middle of a word, and ay/oy/ow at the end of a word' to memorize these three common pairs of vowel teams all at once, and never write rain as raign or day as daiy again.
i before e, except after c: Is This Old Spelling Rule Actually Accurate?
The "i before e, except after c" rule you've memorized for years is actually only half right. This article fills in the key condition (it only counts when it sounds like "ee"), clearly explaining why we use ei after c (ceiling, receive) and ie elsewhere (believe, field). We also list four must-memorize exceptions—weird, seize, foreign, and protein—along with spelling tips and right-vs-wrong examples, so you'll never have to rely on luck again.
ee or ea, oo or ou: The Most Effortless Way to Remember Spellings That Sound Identical
The vowels in feel and meal are exactly the same, so why is one spelled ee and the other ea? Both food and soup are pronounced /uː/, yet their spellings are completely different. To be honest, there are no reliable rules for these spelling combinations, but a system of "memorizing in groups + trying oo first" can save you from a lot of guessing. Part of the "Learning Vocabulary Through Word Analysis" series.
accommodation: How Many C's and M's? Group and Memorize the Double-Consonant Words That Trip You Up the Most
Does accommodation actually have two c's, two m's, or just one of each? Almost all of the most commonly misspelled words in English trip people up on "double consonants." This article strings them together into five groups—cc, mm, ss, rr, and ll. Combined with identification tips and right-versus-wrong examples, you will master notoriously difficult words like accommodation, recommend, and necessary once and for all, and never hesitate when writing again.
there / their / they're and to / two / too: The Most Commonly Misspelled Homophones, and One Trick to Instantly Tell Them Apart
They sound the same but are easy to get wrong—there/their/they're and to/two/too are some of the trickiest homophones among common words. This article compiles the most easily confused groups from the word list, giving you a meaning-based memory trick for each set so you can choose the right one in a split second and never hesitate about which one to use again.